Gagnier Powers Fullerton Ahead

Designating Lauren Gagnier as a middle reliever is sort of like relegating Frank Sinatra to backup vocals; it just doesn’t seem to maximize his considerable talent.

The Cal State Fullerton junior right-hander has found a more suitable role since moving into the starting rotation this season, and Saturday night he delivered a virtuoso performance as the host Titans defeated Missouri, 9-1, to win their best-of-three NCAA super-regional, two games to none, and advance to the College World Series.

Gagnier gave up two hits and one run in eight innings and Danny Dorn drove in four runs to lead Fullerton to Omaha for the third time in four years. Fullerton, which has won a season-high 12 consecutive games, will play North Carolina on Friday in its College World Series opener.

“He’s always had that talent and been able to do it in spots, but this year he’s been able to sustain it,” Titans Coach George Horton said of Gagnier (14-4), who helped his coach notch career victory No. 450.

Gagnier struck out nine and had a no-hitter through 7 2/3 innings before J.C. Field homered to left-center field. In two postseason starts, Gagnier has given up one run in 16 innings and struck out 19.

“I was thinking about the no-hitter from about the fourth inning on, but I was just trying to put up zeros and get us to Omaha,” said Gagnier, who issued one walk and hit a batter. “I pitched my own game and got it done.”

The Titans (48-13) advanced to college baseball’s biggest stage without losing a game in the postseason for the first time since 1995, when Fullerton went on to win all four games in Omaha en route to its third national title.

That year, Fullerton won all four games in the NCAA South Regional to advance to Omaha. With the creation of the super-regional in 1999, teams must win a minimum of five games to reach the College World Series, as the Titans did this year, outscoring their opponents, 41-8.

Fullerton ended Missouri’s season for a second straight year, having defeated the Tigers in an elimination game in a regional at Fullerton in 2005 after trailing by a run in the ninth inning.

The drama was decidedly lacking Saturday after Missouri (35-28) surrendered three runs in the first inning and put on a sloppy defensive display. The Tigers misplayed a pair of pop-ups in the twilight sky, botched a routine grounder and made an errant throw, paving the way for three unearned runs.

“You want to get off to a good start against a team like that,” said Horton, whose Titans are 20-1 when they score in the first inning.

Dorn, playing in his final home game, had a pair of two-run doubles and has driven in 12 runs in five postseason games.